Special Needs School Knysna

To see a child cry because they have no friends, to see your child break down because she really wants to go to school but no school will accept her because she is different. To know that your child has the potential to become something great and is just not getting that chance. Those that have been accepted into a mainstream school and sit in class with earbuds to drown out the noise and break down when they get home because they have sensory issues. Those who sit alone on the jungle gym during break time because no one wants to play with them because they are “weird”. The child who is in Grade 3 and whose mom has been told; “Sorry we can do no more for your child. He needs to go to a special needs school because he still does not know his ABC”. Those who are overweight because of the medication they take to help make them “normal” and get called names and get bullied because they are different. Those children who have physical disabilities but cannot attend mainstream schools because their needs are not catered for but who are otherwise normal in all other respects.

These are just a few of the instances of children in our town who aren’t classified as “disabled” in the traditional sense but who cannot cope in a mainstream school as they have mild disabilities that put them in a category somewhere in between “normal” and “disabled”. Children who are slow learners as a result of mild mental disabilities, children who are dyslexic, children who have sensory issues due to various factors such as Aspergers syndrome, (to name but one example), children who suffer from various forms of epilepsy and are falling behind with schooling because of their disorder.

There is a huge need for a Special Needs School in Knysna that caters specifically to these children. Children who cannot attend a mainstream school and who aren’t disabled enough to attend a school for the disabled. Currently, we have nowhere to send our children for the special love and education they need. Our hope is to raise enough money to open just such a school so that parents do not need to send their children away or move out of Knysna so they can be cared for. This is the start.

With your help, we can change the lives of these children.

Other than raising the funds to realise our dream, we need qualified teachers and therapist to assist in realising our dream for these children

And, of course of prime inportance, a venue which could be utilised as a small school, with possibly, a small play area as well as the basic needs of a kitchen and toilet facilities.

All money raised will be looked after by a N.P.O

In the event that you have a solution to any of our initiatives or are able to contribute to this extremely important project please donate or email me Donnay Else at [email protected] as soon as possible so we can start realising our dream for the children